Base grille of a household refrigerator

ABSTRACT

A base grille of a household refrigerator has a movable hinge element integrally formed with a second wall of the grille and associated with a latch element integrally formed with a first wall of the grille. The hinge element has a friction type connecting element for attaching the grille to the refrigerator.

Umted States Patent 1 1 1111 3,912,349 Hoetker Oct. 14, 1975 BASE GRILLEOF A HOUSEHOLD 3,161,345 l2-/l964 Mcbeod 220/306 x REFRIGERATOR3,767,110 10/1973 Congleton.... 220/306 X 3,818,171 6/1974 Miller312/236 [75] Inventor: James J. Hoetker, Louisville, Ky. [73] Asslgnee:figfif g f g Company Prima y ExaminerCasmir A. Nunbe g [22] Filed: Aug.19, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 498,648 [57] ABSTRACT A base grille of ahousehold refrigerator has a movg? able hinge element integrally formedwith a second i "312/214 237 R. wall of the grille and associated with alatch element 1 le 0 arc 2202306 2l9/l0 integrally formed with a firstwall of the grille. The hinge element has a friction type connectingelement 5 References Cited for attaching the grille to the refrigerator.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 2 Claims, 4 w g Figures 2,603,548 7/1952 Harbison312/237 7 US, Patent Oct. 14, 1975 3,912,349

BASE'GRILLE OF A HOUSEHOLD REFRIGERATOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONMovable base grilles are generally provided along the lower portion of ahousehold refrigerator below the door. The grille covers an accessopening into a lower compartment of the refrigerator which is a housingfor refrigerating machinery and adjustable leg supports of therefrigerator. Since adjustment of the refrigerator legs andrefrigerating machinery is sometimes necessary, it is desirable that thegrille be hingedly connected to the refrigerator. v

On heretofore utilized base grilles, as for example the grille of u. s.Pat. No. 2,603,548-Harbison, the grille was generally formed 'of metal,was connected to the refrigerator by metal hinge elements positioned atthe sides of the grille, had louvers or holes formed therethrough forthe passage of air into the lower machinery compartment and was fixed tothe refrigerator by screws, bolts, or metal clips.

Owing to the operational vibrations of the refrigerator, the movement ofthe parts during the gaining of access into the machinery compartment,and/or impacts on the base grille during normal use of the refrigerator,these base grilles having numerous metal, separable parts, sometimesbecame loosened which caused the grille to rattle during operation ofthe refrigerator, become detached from the refrigerator, and/or damaged.

By constructing the grille as in the instant invention, theaforementioned problems are solved, the grille and connecting elementsare formed of fewer parts, less labor is required to install the grille,and waste of material and labor is avoided.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with this invention, a movablebase grille of a household refrigerator has a face, first and secondwalls, first and second end walls, a catch element, and a hinge element.The catch element is adjacent and extends beyond the first wall and isangularly disposed relative to the first wall. The hinge element hasfirst and second hingedly connected leaves and a friction-typeconnecting element on the terminal end of the second leaft. The hingeelement extends from the face along the second wall and terminates at alocation beyond the second wall. The first leaf is positioned adjacentthe face and the second wall and the second leaf extends outwardly fromthe hinge connection.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of ahousehold refrigerator having the apparatus of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the grille of this invention; and

FIGS. 3 and 4 are partial, sectional views of the grille at first andsecond positions relative to the refrigerator.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION second end walls 20, 22 areintegral wiith the face 14 and first and second walls 18, 20 and extendoutwardly from the face 14 in said common direction.

The second wall 18 has a width sufficient so that an outer terminal edgeportion 24 of the second wall 18 is spaced from the refrigerator 10 inthe installed and hereafter more fully described latched position forproviiding an air passage 26 (see FIG. 3) between the grill l2 and therefrigerator I0.

I The face 14, walls 16, 18, 20, 22, and hereafter more fully describedcatch element 28 and holding element 30 of the grille 12 of thisinvention are integrally formed of an organic plastic, such aspolypropylene for example, and form a unitary grille l2.

Referring to FIGS. 2-4, the catch element 28 is adjacent and extendsbeyond the first wall 16 and is angularly disposed relative to saidfirst wall 16 for cooperating with a holding element 32 of therefrigerator 10. The catch element 28 is movable for latching into andreleasing from the holding element 32 for releasably connecting thegrille 12 to the refrigerator 10.

The hinge element 30 (better seen in FIG. 2) has first and secondhingedly connected leaves 34, 36. The hinge element 30 extends from theface 14 along the second wall 18 and terminates at a location beyond thesecond wall 18.

The first leaf 34 forms the portion of the hinge element 30 that ispositioned adjacent the face 14 and the second wall 18. The first leaf34 is hingedly connected at its outer end to the inner end of the secondleaf 36. Since the grille 12 is formed of organic plastic material, thehinge connection 38 of the hinge element 30 is formed by reducing themass of the hinge element 30.

The second leaf 36 extends outwardly from the hinge connection 38 andhas a friction-type connecting element 40 positioned at the outerterminal end of the second leaf 36.

The friction-type connecting element 40 can be of any construction whichis adapted for insertion into an opening of the refrigerator l0 andreleasably, frictionally connecting the second leaf 36 to therefrigerator 10. It should be understood that by the term frictiontypeconnection it is meant a structure that is forced into an opening andmaintained in the opening by the friction between the parts orfrictional contact between the parts during the imparting of removalforces. These friction-type connecting elements exclude screws, bolts,clips, or other separate structures which are they, themselves, notfixedly connected to the hinge element. An example of the friction-typeconnecting structure of this invention is the deformable spool structureshown in FIGS. 24 which is pushed into the refrigerator opening 42 andfrictionally maintained in that opening 42. Plastic or pop-snaps" ofarrow or other configuration can also be utilized.

It should also be understood that there can be a plurality of hingeelements 40 and/or catch elements 28.

In the operation of the apparatus of this invention, referring to FIGS.3 and 4, the catch 28 in FIG. 3 is biased upwardly by its constructionand is locked into the catch of holding element 32, thereby maintainingthe grille 12 at a first, latched, or closed, position.

When access is desired into the machinery compartment 44 of therefrigerator 10, the catch element 28 is depressed downwardly with theoperators finger, for example, which removes the catch element 28 fromcontact with the holding element 32, thereby permitting the grille 12 tobe pivotally moved about the hinge connection 38 to the second, or open,position as shown in FIG. 4.

The grille 12 can be moved from the open position to the closed positionby pivoting the grille l2 upwardly and the catch element 28 intolatching engagement with the holding element 32.

Other modifications and alterations of this invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing discussion, andit should be understood that this invention is not to be unduly limitedthereto.

What is claimed is:

l. A movable base grille of a household refrigerator having a face,first and second walls, first and second end walls, a movable integralcatch element adjacent and extending along the first wall and beingangularly disposed relative thereto, and a movable integral hingeelement extending from the face along the second wall and terminating ata location beyond the second wall. said hinge element having first andsecond hingedly connected leaves, said first leaf being positionedadjacent the face and the second wall. said second leaf extendingoutwardly from the hinge connection and having a friction-typeconnecting element at the end of said second leaf, said connectingelement being of a spool configuration adapted for insertion into anopening in the refrigerator for fixedly, releasably attaching the grilleto the refrigerator and said second wall of the grille having an outerterminal edge portion spaced from the refrigerator in the installed andlatched position for providing an air passage beneath the grille and therefrigerator.

2. Apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the face is a generallyplanar structure free of openings extending therethrough.

1. A movable base grille of a household refrigerator having a face,first and second walls, first and second end walls, a movable integralcatch element adjacent and extending along the first wall and beingangularly disposed relative thereto, and a movable integral hingeelement extending from the face along the second wall and terminating ata location beyond the second wall, said hinge element having first andsecond hingedly connected leaves, said first leaf being positionedadjacent the face and the second wall, said second leaf extendingoutwardly from the hinge connection and having a friction-typeconnecting element at the end of said second leaf, said connectingelement being of a spool configuration adapted for insertion into anopening in the refrigerator for fixedly, releasably attaching the grilleto the refrigerator and said second wall of the grille having an outerterminal edge portion spaced from the refrigerator in the installed andlatched position for providing an air passage beneath the grille and therefrigerator.
 2. Apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the face isa generally planar structure free of openings extending therethrough.